Aussie a top five contender throughout opening day, before sending crowds into delirium by lapping quicker than all bar Hamilton in afternoon.

Mark Webber and David Coulthard put Red Bull Racing at the head of the chasing pack in opening practice in Melbourne in the build-up to this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, as both figured inside the leading six contenders at the close of play.

Webber was a top five threat throughout, lapping fifth-fastest in the morning session before really giving his partisan supporters something to cheer about by ending up second to only Lewis Hamilton as temperatures rose in the afternoon, albeit a full nine tenths adrift of the pace-setter.

"That wasn't too bad," the 31-year-old reflected afterwards, with typical understatement. "There were probably a few different fuel loads out there so it's hard to know exactly where we are.

"There are definitely four cars that are quicker than us, so we'll get our heads down this evening and work on the race information before qualifying tomorrow. It's pretty windy out on the track, but it's an issue for everyone."

Team-mate Coulthard, for his part, lopped more than a second off his quickest morning effort to join Webber in the top five in the warmer afternoon, having been forced to grapple with transmission woes earlier on. Both drivers ultimately ended up in the top half dozen on the combined timesheets.

"We lost time in the first session due to a gearbox problem," the experienced Scot mused, "so we had a lot of ground to make up in the second practice, which is frustrating after our strong reliability during winter testing. We had a busy programme to complete this afternoon, but we managed to get through it and make up some time."

Away from the track, meanwhile, eBay is hosting an extraordinary auction with all proceeds going to the Red Bull-backed charity Wings for Life. Fifty-five items are up for grabs, including a replica of David Coulthard's Faces for Charity F1 car, Ryan Sheckler's skateboard decks and a Red Bull Air Race VIP Package.

For more information or to start bidding, please go to www.wingsforlife.com/ebay